Tutorial: Quick Halter Dress for Women

Halter Dress Tutorial for Women

sewing tutorial

This will make a size XS / Small

Here's a quick tutorial on how to make yourself a halter dress. I literally sewed this so quickly, that even I surprised myself! Want to know why? Because it is made from 1 pattern piece! Woohoo!! Simple. That's how this lady likes it. Both my kids were napping, the sun was shining, new material was stacked up in my sewing studio and I thought I needed to treat myself to something new. This dress is perfect poolside, for running errands or even going out for date night. I hope you try it!

 1. Gather materials: 1 yard cotton fabric, straight edge, fabric marker, half yard of 1/4 inch elastic, 1 yard ribbon for straps, iron, thread and sewing machine

 2. Iron fabric in half widthwise, making your selvaged edges meet.
3. Starting at the top left edge measure down 9 inches. Draw a line 11 inches long towards the fold of the fabric, then curve up and draw a line all the way towards the top of the fabric's edge. (That curve is your armhole curve.)

4. Cut this out. 

5. Cut two strips of 1/4 inch elastic 5 inches long each.

6. Pin each strip of elastic 1 inch away from the edge.

 6. Starting at the pinned edge, sew on your elastic. Pull your elastic taut as you sew it to your fabric 1/4 inch away from the top edge. Your fabric will start to gather. Repeat for both sides.

7. Fold over 1/4 inch then another 1/4 inch on your dress straight edge and armhole (the shape you cut out). Pin and sew. Repeat for other side. This hems your back/armholes.

 8. See below - it is sewn.

 9. Hem the top edge (for the neckline casing) 1 inch, press with an iron, then fold another inch. Press with an iron and pin.
10. Sew along your folded edge.

 11. Lay dress right sides together and pin down the side. Sew along this pinned edge using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Serge/zig-zag stitch the raw ends.

12. Insert your ribbon through the ribbon casing. Fray check the ends.

 12. Try on your dress. Hem it as you wish.

 If you want to add more shape to it you can always shir elastic under the bustline and around the back. I would sew 4 rows of shirring, each 1/2 inch apart and would start 1/4 inch below the back top edge. Try it out!! Shirring TUTORIAL HERE.

View from the back.

Happy Spring and Happy Sewing!
Jenny